1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to conveyor systems for conveying various articles.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
Heretofore, in conveying articles on a conveyor there have been various problems encountered particularly relative to the conveying of the carrier or cart, which carries the article or load, around a turn, such as a right hand or left hand turn. For example, one conveyor system for making right and left hand turns is shown in Alexander, U.S. Pat. No. 4,474,286, which has as one of its objects the maintaining of a close spacing between load carrier members while permitting the carriers to make right and left hand turns. In the apparatus disclosed in said Alexander patent the right and left hand turns are accomplished by maintaining contact between the driving members (tow pins and pusher plates) on the carriers and drive chain while the positioning of the drive chain causes the driving members to be to the inner side of the carrier member during the turn. Also, a previous conveyor system sold by the assignee of the present invention and which is prior art to the present invention utilized an arrangement in which the turns were negotiated by the pusher bar on the drive chain disengaging a tow pin on the outer side of the cart and with the path of the chain being such that the pusher bar subsequently engaged a tow pin on the inner side of the cart, i.e. moving the towing of the cart from one side to the other (outer side to inner side) to negotiate a turn.